Don’t be a distracted voter
I think that distracted drivers and distracted voters may be alike. When a driver loses focus due to cell phones, radio tuning, etc., accidents can result. So too, with distracted voters, we are finding ourselves in a democratic wreck of our own making.
If we continue to vote with a mindset of anger, from a sense of entitlement, thinking our party’s choices for government are the only right ones, and from a cynicism that is eroding our trust in democracy, America will never again have the opportunity to be great.
When we vote for candidates who don’t believe in rational and civil debate of issues, who declare that they have all the answers, who refuse to actually work for all the people when in office, and instead, work only to enlarge the power of their party, then we are to blame for the unraveling of this country. Our distracted voting is taking a toll.
Much has been said about making our country great again. Let’s examine that idea. Our greatest efforts have been undertaken with the belief that honor, integrity and trust must be hallmarks of our daily lives. Our greatest days have been when we believed in shared sacrifice, when we honored and defended the right of the individual to pursue his/her own interests, when we came together for mutual defense and believed in liberty for everyone, not just for our own group.
Our elected leaders, while never perfect or ideal, used to subscribe to the notion that compromise between our parties was a healthy endeavor, one that would result in the business of this country being carried out with common sense and fairness. Compromise has always been the bedrock of our democratic process and is the only realistic way a democratic government can function.
As a nation, we have shown greatness when we took responsibility on the world stage as a force for democracy, with the hopeful optimism in our ability to forge a positive future for everyone. We were loyal to our allies, cooperating for the ability to maintain healthy relationships around the world. Our leaders have always seen dictators and autocrats for what they were, an affront to freedom everywhere and we have engaged them from a position of strength.
In contrast, our worst days have been when we have abdicated our responsibility to think and use discernment, and instead have followed the blowhards who have sought to sway us from common sense. (Remember the devastating effects of McCarthyism?)
Our political parties have encouraged us to turn to selfish goals, foolishly believing that our “side” was the only
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one worthy of being in control. None of this has been done in the name of patriotism, loyalty to America or for the welfare of the American people. It has been undertaken to garner power for one party over another.
When we employed hateful insults, unfounded innuendo, threatened violence against those with whom we simply disagreed and felt hatred and suspicion of all minority groups, regarding them as less than human, we were slowly destroying the very fabric of our great democracy.
We have always needed two healthy, balanced political parties because in government, just as in anything in life, you need two sides. We can benefit from the good in both and we must relearn how to work together and listen to one another, for the good of our country.
Anyone who tells you differently is someone with an agenda that is only for selfish gain. We can’t afford to be distracted voters any more. Vote for the individuals who will pledge to work with all representatives, for the good of all citizens.
When you vote in the Aug. 2 election (voting is a responsibility as well as a right ), ask yourself this question: As you look out over the landscape of this country, what do you see, greatness or mediocrity? If you don’t like what you see, you have the power of the ballot to make a difference in our shared future. Our children will thank us for it. Carmen Anderson of Germantown has voted in every major election since 1972.